Steel rule



vpril 13; 1937.

F. O. CARLSON STEEL RULEu Filed March 18, 1955 For Insida Measuras I45u Y V INVENTOR Patented Apr. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE Master Rule Manufacturing Company,

Inc.,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 18, 1935, Serial No. 11,566

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in steel rules more particularly, but not necessarily, oi the type employing a ribbon of tempered steel of concave-convex cross section.

5 The general object of this invention is to provide a steel rule of this type so constructed as to adapt it for use as a, height gauge, a depth gauge, an inside and outside measuring instrument, and for layout work, as well asfor the other usual uses to which such rules are put.

A particular object oi this invention is to provide a steel rule so constructed that it may be easily used for inside measurements, and may be directly read when so used.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hook at the end of the tape, of such construction as to permit of tipping of the rule when close measurements are to be made.

These and other objects, which will be particularly emphasized in connection with the following detailed description are secured by means of this invention.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described in detail below.

In the drawin Fig. 1 is a side elev ltional view of a structurein accordance with this invention showing the steel tape extended; and

Fig. 2 is a top plan View. The details of the invention will be described in connection with a tempered steel graduated measuring rule of the concave-convex type which is rolled up into a. casing in actual form, and is withdrawn .from and returned into the casing through an opening therein. Such measuring rules are well known in the art in many forms.

The objects of this invention will become clearer from the following description.

As illustrated in the drawing, the instrument comprises a casing consisting of side plates I and 2 composed of three straight sides and one curved side, as is clear from Fig. l. Interposed between these plates is a metal wallmember 3, which is shaped to conform with the outline of the side plates, and may be secured between them in any suitable manner. As illustrated the cover member 3 does not enclose the bottom opening between the side plates. 'I'his opening is closed by means of a pair of` plates l and 5 which are secured thereto in any-suitable manner. These parts are secureditogether by means of a screw 6, or its equivalent. At 1 is the graduated tempered steel 55 tape'whi'ch is stored in the casing in vcoil form,

rlikewise be of any or to the sides thereof.

initial withdrawing of the 20 the end thereof, the overall represent in accordance with welll known practice. The casing, including the bottom plates, may be formed of metal by casting or otherwise or may be molded from any suitable material, o`r other'- l wise constructed in accordance with well known practice -in the art. The bottom cover plates may suitable material suitably formed and secured in place in any known manner.

The novel features of this invention consist l0 of the end hook 8 secured to the free end of the tape at its top portion 9 by riveting or eyeleting. The hook portion 8 extends the full width of the tape and projects below the tape a distance no greater-'than the distance which the casing ex- 16 tends belowthe top so that when the tape is fully within the casing the hook will lie against the end of the casing without projecting either below it.

To .permit of easy tape the bottom plate 6 is provided with a fingernail curve I0. The hook member 8 is either transversely curved or narrowed into the tape portion suiliciently so as not to deiorm the tape from its natural concave-convex shape.

As will be clear from Fig. 2 the tape is graduated irom its extreme free end towards the other end in accordance with the usual standard graduations to any degree of iineness. In other words, the first graduated in'ch on the end of the tape is 30 a full inch. The thickness of the hook member is of a known amount. In this case 315". The width of the casing in the directionoi' the length of the tape is dentely predetermined in accordance with this invention. As illustrated it is ll" 35 long. Thus, when the tape is entirely within the casing so that the hook member 6 lies against width of the device at 'this point, including the casing and hook member, will be exactly 2". is graduated with standard graduations as shown.

For rough inside measurements the device may be used as a plug gauge, at which time the tape will be entirely within the casing, and the exact 'width' ci the device in the region of the hook 45 member 8 is2".

This arrangement is particularly adapted for inside measurements as illustrated in Fig. 2. The distance between the lines A and B which may' the innerface of the walls of `va box, for example, may be easily measured by positioning the device into the container so that the outer tace oi the hook member 8 contacts the wall A, and the right hand side t, the casing contacts the wall B. The distance isthen de- 56 The side of the casing 4o.

vterminano'betnesumcf -cated on thetape1,plus2" that this invention 'parted-to the tape by the distance as indi-l as indicated by the symbol on the side of the casing in Fig. 1. I n

Fig. 2,l the amount of the tape exposed is 2%". To' this is added 2", giving the distance between the walls A and B as 4%.

since theus'er looks directly down upon the tape, and may accurately read it along the side of the casing through which the tape issues.

Those skilled in the art the dlmculty of teaching the general public` the use of any form of struction employed, consist in the simple state-- ment to add 2" to the reading on the tape. Some forms of measuring devices of this gen-v eral type when adapted `for inside measurements employ a graduated tape which does not have Vcorrectv or standard .graduations thereon. ,For

example, some measuring devices of this type in which the irst inch is not a will be seen that with applicants device the sraduations on the tape are full, complete and standard. 'I'he hook member is of a predetermined known thickness in the direction of the length of the tape. and the casing is made of awidth to absorb this additional length imthe presence of the hook member.. l v s It will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art that the lengths are assumed only by way of illustration. The instructions on the casing can, for example, require the addition of 3", the hook can be V4 thick, and the casing be actually 2% long in the direction of the length of the tape. In this case the inside measurements would be taken as before, and 3" would be added to the reading on the tape.

'I'he practical ample.

It is also here noted that the graduationson the casing may be made in such away as to ab. sorb the thickness of the hook, or the casing may be accurately graduated as in Fig. 1. In this case the casing isjli" long in the direction of the tape. and is so graduated. This is the preferred form so that the scale on the casing may be used for other purposes Such as setting dividers, calipers, and the like.

The provision ofthe khooi: member ex all the way across the tape is of advantage in permitting tipping of the tape in measurements so as to bring the graduations close to the surface being measured to insure accurate measurements. The simple outline of thecasing further aids in the ease with which the device vmay be .used for example as a depth gauge, a heighth gauge, and in fact for all its uses.

From the above. description it will be apparent resides in certain principles of construction which may be embodied in other v casing having a tempered steel jacent' said face,

has been illustrated physical forms without departure from the scope thereof. I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure as given for Purposes of illustration, but

. pended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: y v

i. A measuring instrument adapted for inside measurements comprising zero atl one end and e towards the other, and a hook member secured to the end of the tape and projecting therebelo'w and beyond the end of the tape a distance equal to the thickness of the material thereof. said casing having a portion extending at right angles factorby an amount equal to the thickness of the hook member.

2. A m tape as describedfcomprlsing a graduated tape coiled therein and withdrawable from the casing full Width of the tape.

4, In a measuring device of the type described. the combination comprising a casing having a straight bottom face. and an opening therein ada tape coiled insaid casing and projectable therefrom through said opening, said tape when vextended from thecsing lying parallel to, and spaced closely above said'bottom face.

and a hook'member securedto the end'of the i tape and extending downwardly therefrom substantially to but not below the bottom face Vof the casing when the tape is coiled within the casing.

straight'bottom face. and an opening therein adjacent said device, a tape coiledin said casing i'athertothescopeoftheap-y and projectable therefrom through said opening. I

said tape when extended from the casing lying parallel to,V and spaced closely above said bottom face, a hook member secured to the end of the tape and extending downwardly therefrom substantially to but not below the bottom face of the casing when the tape is coiled within the` 

